Combination hood and scarf garment

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a combination hood and scarf garment developed to maintain the wearer&#39;s full front body, upper back, shoulders, full neck, ears, full head, and face insulated from the cold weather. This garment is designed with a long scarf whose strips of fabric can be fastened together with buttons to provide full coverage of the wearer&#39;s body, much like a blanket. The flexibility of the design allows the wearer to unfasten the strips of fabric and use them as a scarf to insulate the neck and shoulders. Designed without a full back and any sleeves allows this garment to be folded flat and compact enough to fit inside a conventional purse or handbag when not in use. The hood is designed with special curvatures that coincide with the shape of the wearer&#39;s head and neck so as to minimize any folding or wrinkling of the fabric.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a fashionable garment primarily developed for the purpose of keeping a user's full front body, upper back, shoulders, full neck, ears, full head, and face insulated from the cold weather and for the purpose of being able to fold flat and compact enough to fit inside a conventional purse or handbag when not in use.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Scarves are usually made from a single piece of fabric having a square, rectangular, or triangular configuration. Known scarves are made from a wide variety of styles, including conventional neck scarves, head wraps, head bows, shoulder wraps, and as shawls or stoles. These scarves are accessory items. However, the fashion world of accessory items has been long void of providing a piece that enhances and economically extends the wardrobe while providing greater protection and insulation from the cold weather than typical scarves.

Conventional garments, such as, coats, jackets, and sweaters that insulate or protect a person's full front body, upper back, shoulders, full neck, ears, full head, and face from the cold weather are typically large and bulky items that cannot be folded flat and compact enough to fit inside a typical sized purse or handbag. Accessory items, such as, scarves and hoods, are typically not sufficient to insulate a person's full front body, upper back, shoulders, full neck, ears, full head, and face from the cold weather.

Scarves, such as, the one disclosed on U.S. Design Pat. No. D314,080, do not have hoods to insulate the head and ears. Such scarves simply hang from the wearer's shoulders and do not offer complete coverage and insulation of the wearer's full front body. Combined hood and scarf garments, such as, those disclosed on U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,211,807 and 3,555,566, are small and only cover the head, ears, and neck. Such garments are not sufficient to provide coverage over the upper back and full front body. A more recent U.S. Pat. No. 6,789,266 discloses a head gear system that provides insulation to the head, ears, full neck, and face. However, even such head gear system does not additionally provide insulation to the upper back and full front body.

Other garments that can serve to insulate the wearer from cold weather can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 593,954, 746,586, 837,143, 866,752, 905,270, 1,016,214, 2,269,491, 2,346,918, 3,449,766, 3,479,667, 4,495,660, 4,718,123, and 6,397,403.

While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a combination hood and scarf garment that allows insulation and coverage of the wearer's full front body, upper back, shoulders, full neck, ears, full head, and face from the cold weather while being able to fold flat and compact enough to fit inside a conventional sized purse or handbag when not in use.

In this respect, the combination hood and scarf garment according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides a fashionable garment primarily developed for the purpose of keeping a user's full front body, upper back, shoulders, full neck, ears, full head, and face insulated from the cold weather and for the purpose of being able to fold flat and compact enough to fit inside a conventional purse or handbag when not in use.

Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a fashionable garment primarily developed for the purpose of keeping a user's full front body, upper back, shoulders, full neck, ears, full head, and face insulated from the cold weather and for the purpose of being able to fold flat and compact enough to fit inside a conventional purse or handbag when not in use. As will be seen, this improved garment achieves these objectives and advantages in a novel, nonobvious, and useful combination.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned disadvantages occurring in the prior art, and it is the object of the present invention to provide a combination hood and scarf garment which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and which will provide the wearer fashionable insulation and protection from the cold weather.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a combination hood and scarf garment that provides coverage of the wearer's full front body, upper back, shoulders, full neck, ears, full head, and face.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a garment that can be configured to serve as a blanket when the wearer is sitting or lying down and as a scarf when the wearer is standing or walking about.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a garment that can be folded flat and compact enough to fit inside a standard sized purse or handbag when not in use.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a garment with a hood that covers the wearer's head without interfering with her peripheral vision.

The present invention is a hood scarf, a combination hood and scarf garment, made of woven material. The hood scarf can be easily configured to insulate the wearer's full front body, upper back, shoulders, full neck, ears, full head, and face. The design and material used in the hood scarf allows the wearer to effortlessly change configuration to suit the changing cold weather. The hood scarf is a head cover attached to a neckpiece having strips of fabric extending out on both sides of the head cover to serve as scarves that can be wrapped around the wearer's upper body, shoulders, neck, and face or that can be allowed to hang down from the wearer's shoulders and attached together to form a blanket that covers the wearer's front portion of her body.

More importantly, the hood scarf of the present invention can be designed with special curvatures that ensure that the wearer's peripheral vision is not blocked or hindered in any manner. Maintaining an aesthetically clean look without interfering with the vision of the wearer is important for the hood scarf to be fashionable and become an integral part of the wearer's overall wardrobe or outfit.

The above and other objects, features, advantages, and alternative aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in combination with the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form part of the specification, illustrate various embodiments of the present invention and, together with the description, further serve to explain the principles of the invention and to enable a person skilled in the pertinent art to make and use the invention. In the drawings, like reference numbers indicate identical or functional similar elements. A more complete appreciation of the invention and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a combination hood and scarf garment according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the top portion of a combination hood and scarf garment according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows a rear view of a combination hood and scarf garment according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows a combination hood and scarf garment according to the first embodiment of the present invention as it is worn in an alternative configuration;

FIGS. 5 a and 5 b show a combination hood and scarf garment with pockets according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 shows a combination hood and scarf garment that provides greater coverage of the user's back according to the third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 shows a combination hood and triangular scarf garment according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 shows a combination hood and scarf garment with a single button according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 9 shows a combination hood and scarf garment with custom curvatures that prevent interference of the user's peripheral vision according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made to the drawings in which the various elements of the present invention will be given numerical designations and in which the invention will be discussed so as to enable one skilled in the art to make and use the invention.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a hood scarf 100 made of woven material according to the first embodiment of the present invention and begins to illustrate elements thereof that overcome the drawbacks and disadvantages of the prior art. The hood scarf 100 can be configured to insulate the full front body, upper back, shoulders, full neck, ears, full head, and face of the wearer. The material used in the hood scarf 100 allows the wearer to effortlessly change configuration to suit the changing cold weather. The types of material that can be used include cashmere, silk, or other woven material. The hood scarf 100 is essentially a head cover 10 with a neckpiece 20 attached to the bottom edge 11 of the head cover 10 with strips of fabric 21 that extend to almost the knee level of the user on both sides of the head cover 10.

The head cover 10 is preferably made of two side panels 12 and 13 seamed together along the side and top edges thereof as by means of the seam 14 whereby said head cover 10 may be folded into a flat member of little thickness when not in use. In making the seam 14 along the top edges, the side panels 12 and 13 are rounded off to create a head curvature 16 that follows the contours of the head of the wearer. The head cover 10 also has a neck curvature 17 that follows the contours of the back of the wearer's neck. Both the head curvature 16 and the neck curvature 17 help the hood scarf 100 in following the curvature of the wearer's head and neck so as to maintain an aesthetically clean and fashionable look.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the hood scarf according to the present invention has a neckpiece 20 attached to the bottom edge 11 of the head cover 10 and having a long strip of fabric 21 extend from each side of the head cover. The neckpiece 20 is between 2 and 8 inches in width and with sufficient length so that the lowermost extremities 24 of the long strips of fabric 21 reach near the knee level of the user. When worn by the user, the neckpiece 20 wraps around the back of the shoulders so that the long strips of fabric 21 hang down from the shoulders and over the front side of the body of the user. The top or inside edges 22 of the long strip of fabric 20 attach to each other with buttons 30 or other fastening means.

Hereinafter, an explanation on the use of the state of the hood scarf 100 of the present invention. When the hood scarf 100 according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is properly worn by the user, the head cover 10 is placed over the user's head to cover the entire head and ears of the user. The neckpiece 20 is then wrapped around the shoulders of the user so that it covers the entire shoulders and upper back of the user, as shown on FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. The long strips of fabric 21 are then allowed to hang from the user's shoulders down to about the user's knees so that they cover the front side of the user's body. Finally, the top or inside edges 22 of the long strips of fabric 21 are attached together with buttons 30 or other fastening means.

When the user wears the hood scarf 100 of the present invention while laying down on her back or sitting down, the long strips of fabric 21 are attached to each other with the buttons 30 and serve as a blanket that provides coverage over the front side of her body, upper back. shoulders, neck, head, and ears. The user can remove the head cover 10 from her head and still maintain coverage over her front side of her body, upper back, and shoulders. As the user stands to walk, she can undo the buttons 30 to detach the long strips of fabric 20 from each other and use them as scarves to wrap around her shoulders, neck, and face, as shown on FIG. 4. Such configurations allows the user to add extra layers of protection against cold wind to her most sensitive parts of her body, her upper body, neck, head, and face.

As the weather warms up, the user can easily remove the hood scarf 100 and fold it flat and compact. Since the hood scarf 100 does not have a full back side or sleeves, it can be folded flat and compact enough to fit inside a standard sized women's purse or handbag.

An alternative embodiment is shown on FIGS. 5 a and 5 b where the long strips of fabric 21 each have a pocket 40 into which the hands of the User can be inserted to keep warm. The pockets can have its opening along its top edge 41, as shown on FIG. 5 a or along its outer side edge 42, as shown on FIG. 5 b. The pocket 40 can be attached to the front or back face of each strip of fabric 21.

Another alternative embodiment is shown on FIG. 6 where the neckpiece 20 is configured with sufficient width to provide coverage of the user's entire back.

Another alternative embodiment is shown on FIG. 7 where the long strips of fabric 21 are triangular rather than rectangular in shape. Such triangularity is designed to provide a more fashionable look and appeal. Such triangularity also allows the hood scarf 100 to be folded flatter and more compact for easier storage when not in use.

Another alternative embodiment is shown on FIG. 8 where the long strips of fabric 20 attach to each other along the top or inside edges 22 at one point of attachment 35. Such configuration allows for a more fashionable look and appeal.

Another alternative embodiment is shown on FIG. 9 where the head cover 10 has a front edge curvature 16 that allows the hood scarf 100 to cover the user's head without interfering with the user's peripheral vision.

It is understood that the described embodiments of the invention are illustrative only, and that modifications thereof may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, this invention is not to be regarded as limited to the embodiments disclosed, but to be limited only as defined by the appended claims herein. 

1. A combination hood and scarf garment as fashionable wearing apparel for the human body comprising: a head cover having a bottom edge and two flat panels joined together with a seam along the side and top edge thereof; a long neckpiece with substantially greater length than width and having a top edge and a middle section and wherein said top edge is attached to said bottom edge of said head cover at said middle section leaving strips of fabric having a top edge at each side of said head cover; and a fastening means having a first half and a second half and mounted along said top edge of said strips of fabric wherein said fastening means are used to join together said top edge of said strips of fabric.
 2. The combination hood and scarf garment in claim 1, wherein said two flat panels of said cover head cover are side panels.
 3. The combination hood and scarf garment in claim 1, wherein said two flat panels of said head cover comprises a front panel and a back panel.
 4. The combination hood and scarf garment in claim 1, wherein said strips of fabric of said long neckpiece are substantially rectangular.
 5. The combination hood and scarf garment in claim 1, wherein said strips of fabric of said long neckpieces are substantially triangular.
 6. The combination hood and scarf garment in claim 1, wherein said fastening means is a plurality of buttons.
 7. The combination hood and scarf garment in claim 1, wherein said fastening means is a single button.
 8. The combination hood and scarf garment in claim 1, wherein said fastening means is a zipper.
 9. A combination hood and scarf garment as fashionable wearing apparel for the human body comprising: a head cover having a bottom edge and two flat panels joined together with a seam along the side and top edge thereof; a long neckpiece with substantially greater length than width and having a top edge, and a middle section, and wherein said top edge is attached to said bottom edge of said head cover at said middle section leaving strips of fabric having a top edge at each side of said head cover having a front face and a back face; a fastening means having a first half and a second half and mounted along said top edge of said strips of fabric wherein said fastening means are used to join together said top edge of said strips of fabric; and a pocket having a top edge, a bottom edge, two side edges, and an opening wherein said pocket is attached to each said strips of fabric of said neckpiece.
 10. The combination hood and scarf garment in claim 9, wherein said two flat panels of said cover head cover are side panels.
 11. The combination hood and scarf garment in claim 9, wherein said two flat panels of said head cover comprises a front panel and a back panel.
 12. The combination hood and scarf garment in claim 9, wherein said strips of fabric of said long neckpiece are substantially rectangular.
 13. The combination hood and scarf garment in claim 9, wherein said strips of fabric of said long neckpieces are substantially triangular.
 14. The combination hood and scarf garment in claim 9, wherein said fastening means is a plurality of buttons.
 15. The combination hood and scarf garment in claim 9, wherein said fastening means is a single button.
 16. The combination hood and scarf garment in claim 9, wherein said fastening means is a zipper.
 17. The combination hood and scarf garment in claim 9, wherein said pocket is attached to said front face of said strips of fabric of said long neckpiece.
 18. The combination hood and scarf garment in claim 9, wherein said pocket is attached to said back face of said strips of fabric of said long neckpiece.
 19. The combination hood and scarf garment in claim 9, wherein said opening of said pocket is along said top edge of said pocket.
 20. The combination hood and scarf garment in claim 9, wherein said opening of said pocket is along one of said side edges of said pocket.
 21. The combination hood and scarf garment in claim 9, wherein said opening of said pocket is along said top edge and one of said side edges of said pocket. 